self education

[haybierman]

One thing I have noticed as I grow older is how little I actually learned in school.

I find the same in most of my friends - and, as a result, most of us are re-teaching ourselves in one way or another.

I guess I could blame public schooling but it probably has more to do with the fact that at the time I was more interested in what was going on after school rather than what was going on in the class.

So I get to the point of this posting...

If you are out of school, or even still in school, in what ways do you like to self-educate, re-teach yourself, or just stay up to date on what happened, what is happening, and what might happen?





Myself - I've been going through all the American Presidents lately and learning about what each of them did. It was pretty humbling that I came across so many facts that I know I was taught in school but have either forgotten, or just didn't pay attention in the first place.

I also keep my mind busy with daily jaunts on professional websites (I know I can't list them as per SCF guidelines) that pertain to psychology, science, technology, philosophy, etc...

[Bonds_25]

Funny you bring this up.

I often look back at the 3.5 years of college I have completed and think to myself, how much did I actually learn? What do I really remember?

These days everything is based around grades and all you care about at the time is doing what you need to do to pass and graduate which means memorizing things and letting them go out the other ear once the testing is over and done with. Most college students, including myself rarely read the textbooks because professors will lecture over the same exact material.

As far as re-teaching myself, I can't say that I really do. I find that when something calls upon what I have been taught it somehow springs back to life in the back of my brain. All that stuff stored in there just has to be triggered.

[haybierman]

Funny you bring this up.

I often look back at the 3.5 years of college I have completed and think to myself, how much did I actually learn? What do I really remember?

Brother, I hear that. Whenever I talk to high school or college students anymore I always tell them that they will learn more about how the world works in their first week of work than they ever did in their 16+ years of school.

You're absolutely right that it all comes down to grades and not actually learning or understanding the material... and that is really unfortunate.

[aw00d05]

Brother, I hear that. Whenever I talk to high school or college students anymore I always tell them that they will learn more about how the world works in their first week of work than they ever did in their 16+ years of school.

You're absolutely right that it all comes down to grades and not actually learning or understanding the material... and that is really unfortunate.

i know i'm in high school and it's always grades grades grades and not learning, in most of my classes i don't even consider myself learning. just listening.

[chrisjacobs7]

These days everything is based around grades and all you care about at the time is doing what you need to do to pass and graduate which means memorizing things and letting them go out the other ear once the testing is over and done with. Most college students, including myself rarely read the textbooks because professors will lecture over the same exact material.

I'm a college student and agree 100% with this statement. I'm a Finance major and have learned far more from reading on the internet than I have learned in class.

[OnePimpTiger]

I completely agree about not learning much in school. It's partially due to not really caring at the time and just trying for a good grade, but I think a lot, if not the majority, is the way school is taught. It's all just memorization and repetition. Some stuff might stick and a lot won't, but most teachers only care about you remembering it for long enough to get a good score on the next test and that's it. They don't challenge you to use reason or logic or ask you to figure things out on your own, they just want their kid's grades to look good.

Once I got into college, I realized I love learning new things, no matter how small or how trivial. That's what learning stuff about something you actually care about will do to you. Now, I try to keep up with current events at least on a basic level. I use the internet mostly to do that.

I love to read about history and non-fiction...about specific stories mostly, but I actually read Don't Know Much About American History which is basically a crash course, covering everything from the first visitors to North America to present day. It was basically like taking every history class I've ever had in one book and I probably learned a lot more from it than all the classes combined.

And, for the mostly trivial stuff, I watch tv. I love shows like How It's Made, How It Works, Modern Marvels, and all of those history and educational programs. Also look up a lot of useless info on the internet about how things work, where they come from, the history of certain things I come across that I'm curious about.

Learning should definitely be a continuous thing...the more I learn, the more I realize how much I have to learn. Unfortunately, that's becoming more and more a minority notion.

[WilyWestbrook0]

My mom always said she learned more outside of school than in it.

I was home-educated for the majority of my school years up until college, so I was a literal autodidact in a lot of ways.

Learning comes in so many forms that limiting it to activities accomplished within the walls of a school would be incredibly narrow and tragic.

[Aikman_TheGreat]

College is only good for that little piece of paper that says youre "qualified". I've been running a business since I was 19 years old, but if I quit this business I wouldnt be able to get a job for another business because I have no degree. Funny how that works.

Sorry, college is also good for getting into law, medical, or other school like that.

[WilyWestbrook0]

I've been running a business since I was 19 years old, but if I quit this business I wouldnt be able to get a job for another business because I have no degree.

I don't know - I think employers value prior field experience far more these days than a college degree. I have a B.A. with a year of graduate school completed as well, but potential employers keep turning me down because I don't have prior clerical experience. Most of these jobs I am applying for pay about $10/hour, so it's not like I am aiming too high, either.

[Aikman_TheGreat]

I don't know - I think employers value prior field experience far more these days than a college degree. I have a B.A. with a year of graduate school completed as well, but potential employers keep turning me down because I don't have prior clerical experience. Most of these jobs I am applying for pay about $10/hour, so it's not like I am aiming too high, either.

Well I might be able to get a good job, but not making what I am now thats for sure. Unless, of course, I went into business for myself again.

But thats what I mean about the degree, it says your "qualified". Which I'm sure quite a few classes you took had NOTHING to do with your degree. I plan on attending college, just in case, but I'm not thrilled about it though.